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Beginners
Beginners Equipment Q&A - Accessories
Mar 29 2011 05:33 AM |
Mike/Test
in Beginners
Does a dew shield or dew heater block the view or hurt the optics in any way on a Nexstar 8?
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Meade DS-2000 Struggles
Dec 22 2009 07:03 AM |
garymacphail
in Beginners
I had seen a Meade DS-2000 telescope on the shelf of Walmart and told myself that, one day I will have that. Nearly two years later it was
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What Amateur Astronomers WANT from Their Suppliers
Dec 11 2009 09:22 AM |
Joe Lalumia
in Beginners
Have you ever bought something and then after trying to use it found out that
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Stars
Mar 15 2006 06:35 AM |
Guest
in Beginners
Dear Sir, My nine year old grandson was given the assignment of a paper on stars.He got out his 3 X 5 cards and took notes from a number of sources.
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Used Equipment on the Web
Sep 21 2005 10:55 AM |
Jim
in Beginners
Yes, I am hooked on the E-used astro-equipment market. Yes, I know I have all the equipment I need. At least that’s what one part of me tells myself. There is however that other self, the other person who lives inside my astro-minded brain.
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Binoviewers?
Aug 29 2005 05:21 AM |
jrcrilly
in Beginners
Binoviewers are becoming a very popular accessory for telescope users. They offer several advantages over single-eyed viewing, at the cost of a few disadvantages. Some of these effects are subtle, while others are more important.
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Cepheids Explained
Jul 29 2005 12:03 PM |
Daniel Mounsey
in Beginners
The first cepheid ever discovered was in 1784 by a man named John Goodricke. The star is officially called "Delta Cephei" obviously named after its constellation Cepheus.
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First Light, First Telescope, First Marriage
Jun 03 2005 02:50 AM |
fortdick
in Beginners
After two careers, raising a family, and doing all the responsible things that was expected of me, I am finally getting near retirement age and had to start thinking of what I was going to do with the next 50 years of life
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Beginner Series: How to Setup a Dob
May 03 2005 03:36 AM |
jrcrilly
in Beginners
Step by step on how to setup a dob for observing.
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I bought my first telescope, now what…
Mar 27 2005 11:55 AM |
Guest
in Beginners
Well ahead of you lie endless hours of pleasure and frustration…. hopefully more of the former than the latter, especially as time goes by and you become more acquainted with your new hobby. I remember the time when I first took the plunge and bought my first telescope. After much deliberation, I decided to go for a 'real' telescope and bought a Celestron 4" (102mm) HD refractor (I say real because at that time my concept of a telescope was a refractor) . When I finally picked up the package, I couldn't wait to put it together and go outside and see all sorts of wonderful things. I think that first night I saw a few stars, didn't know what I was looking at and couldn't find most anything like the planets. I did have a book with some star charts but I didn't even know where to find the constellations. I especially remember a night a few weeks hence when very determined to see something, I set out to see the three prominent clusters M36, M37 & M38 in Auriga. I spent 3 or 4 hours in temperatures below freezing try to locate these from my suburban patio in CT. I did finally see them and felt elated at doing so but was also a bit concerned. If this was how it was going to be, I didn't know if I was going to stay in the hobby very long. Well I'm still here after almost 4 years and have since moved on to, first, a 6" MK67 and then a home made 12.5" truss Dob (I think its called aperture fever) Along the way things have become easier since that cold winter night, in large part thanks to a few things I have picked up along the way, either by accident or by the kindness of the fellow astronomers who make up this great community.
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